The Top album cover - The Cure
Album · 4 tones

The Top Guitar Tone - Amp Settings for Every Track

The Cure·1984·Guitar tone settings
Adapt to my gear

Translate any The Top track to your gear

The The Top amp settings window

Median knob positions across the 4 guitar tracks we've broken down from this record, on the amps they were tracked with. A starting point for the album's sound; pick a track below for its exact recipe.

Gain
4
3–4 · n=4
Bass
5
4.5–5 · n=4
Mid
5
5–5 · n=4
Treble
7
7–7.5 · n=4
Presence
6
6–6 · n=4
Volume
5
5–5 · n=4
The rig behind the record

The Gear Behind The Top

Tracklist

Every The Top Tone You Can Dial In

  1. The Caterpillar
  2. Birdmad Girl
  3. Piggy in the Mirror
  4. Shake Dog ShakeAC30

4 of this record's tracks are broken down so far. Most popular first.

FAQ

Common Questions About the The Top Tone

  1. What amp was The Top recorded with?

    Every one of the The Top tracks in our catalog was tracked on an AC30 (modern equivalent: Vox AC30 C2). ToneMirror rewrites those settings for whatever amp you own - a different EQ curve and gain structure landing on the same recorded sound.

  2. What guitar was used on The Top?

    The Stratocaster (modern equivalent: Fender American Professional II Stratocaster) appears on the most The Top tracks in our catalog. You don't need one - the settings are calibrated to the recorded tone, so they translate to the guitar you already have.

  3. What amp settings do I need for the The Top sound?

    Across the 4 guitar tracks from The Top we've catalogued, the median is gain 4 (range 3–4), with bass 5, mid 5, treble 7 on a 0–10 scale. That's the record's window rather than any one song's recipe - pick a track above for the exact knob positions it was recorded with.

  4. What pedals are on The Top?

    The Boss CE-2 Chorus shows up on the most tracks here. Every track breakdown lists that song's full signal chain in order, and the match engine substitutes what you own for what you don't.

  5. How many The Top songs can I dial in here?

    ToneMirror has 4 tracks from The Top broken down, including "The Caterpillar" and "Birdmad Girl". Each carries the original amp settings, pickup position, tuning, and pedal chain, plus a per-rig adaptation for your own gear.

Keep browsing

More The Cure Records

All The Cure tones →

Adapt to my gear